1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a text reading apparatus, a text reading method, and a computer-readable medium storing a text reading program for converting a text set displayed on a display screen into voice to be read out.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a text reading apparatus for converting a text set created by a document composition tool, such as a word processor, into voice to be read out, various improvements have been made in order to more naturally read out the text set.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-113795 discloses a text reading apparatus for reading a text set with a voice according to a user's preference. In this apparatus, parameter values such as vocalizing speed, voice tone and others can be selected by a user. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 3-293398 discloses a text reading apparatus that retrieves phonemes from a word dictionary and selects the appropriate pronunciation or accent in accordance with the meters of the surrounding words, when it converts the text set in Japanese into voice to be read out.
There is also a text reading apparatus for displaying the contents of a text set that is being read out on a display unit when converting the text set into voice to be read out.
FIG. 17 shows an outline of a structure of a conventional text reading apparatus that reads out a displayed text set. This apparatus includes a display 302 for displaying a work 301, a particular text set, stored in a storage memory such as a disk device and a display control portion 303 for controlling the output onto the display 302. A reading portion 304 for converting the work 301 into voice to be read out and a speaker 305 for outputting the converted voice are also provided.
The display control portion 303 is provided with a display operation control portion 311 for controlling the entire display control and a text formatting portion 312 for formatting a text set to be displayed so as to fit in a predetermined area of the display 302. There are also provided a font data storing portion 313 for storing dot data of each word and a dot data generating portion 314 for converting each word in the text set to be displayed into dot data.
The reading portion 304 includes a reading operation control portion 321 for controlling the entire reading control, a text analyzing portion 322 for analyzing the text data to be converted into pronunciation codes, and a word dictionary 323 storing words to which reference is made when analyzing the text data. The reading portion also has a voice data storing portion 324 for storing voice codes and voice waveforms in coordinating manner and a voice synthesizing portion 325 for converting voice codes into voice waveforms.
The work 301 is formatted by the text formatting portion 312 so as not to exceed a designated area of the display 302. The dot data generating portion 314 converts the text data that has been formatted into dot data. The text data converted into the dot data is displayed on the display 302. The control relating to such display is integrally managed by the display operation control portion 311.
Meanwhile, the text analyzing portion 322 converts the text data of the work 301 into pronunciation codes by making reference to the word dictionary 323. The voice synthesizing portion 325 converts the pronunciation codes obtained after conversion into voice waveforms by making reference to the voice data storing portion 324 and outputs them as voice signals from the speaker 305.
Although one text set is shown on the display screen and that text set is read out in this example, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open Nos. 61-84689 and 6-19433 disclose text reading apparatuses that display a plurality of text sets on the display screen and read a selected one of these text sets.
FIG. 18 shows an example of the display screen in the text reading apparatus that displays a plurality of text sets and reads out one of them. Different text sets are displayed in first and second display areas 332 and 333 provided on the display screen 331. The respective display areas 332 and 333 are divided into title display areas 335 and 336 for displaying a title of each work and text display areas 337 and 338 in which the content of the text set is displayed, respectively. In the title display areas 335 and 336 are displayed play/pause buttons 338 and 339 used to start or pause reading the text set, stop buttons 341 and 342 used to stop reading the text set, as well as titles of the works.
FIG. 19 shows the title display area when reading of the text set is paused. "TODAY'S MENU" is displayed as a title of the work in the title display area 335. Further, the play/pause button 338 has the appearance of a play button for canceling pause to restart the voice output.
FIG. 20 shows the title display area when the text set is being read out. In this case, the play/pause button 338 has the appearance of a pause button for interrupting the play.
When reading of the text set is stopped or paused, the display shown in FIG. 19 appears. At this stage, when the play/pause button 338 is pointed to and clicked by a pointing device such as a mouse, the text set of the work whose title is displayed is read out and the play/pause button 338 is changed as shown in FIG. 20. In the play mode shown in FIG. 20, when the play/pause button 338 is pointed to and clicked by the mouse, reading of the text set is paused and the button 338 is changed as shown in FIG. 19. When the stop buttons 341 and 342 are clicked, reading of the text set is stopped.
By displaying the title of the work in this manner, the text set displayed on the display can be readily identified in accordance with each work. Reading of the displayed text set is easily initiated by using the buttons for the reading operation.
In the conventionally-used text reading apparatus for displaying a plurality of text sets on one display screen, the reading operation is independently carried out in accordance with the text set in each display area, making it possible for a plurality of the text sets to be simultaneously read. Clearly, listeners can not discriminate a plurality of text sets which are simultaneously output. Operators must therefore operate the apparatus so that a plurality of text sets are not simultaneously read out, which leads to deteriorated operability. In addition, since the reading operation is controlled from within each display area, the exclusive operation cannot be guaranteed by the apparatus. Moreover, it is difficult to determine from the display screen, which text set is being read out, and operations such as changing the text set to be read out thus become troublesome.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a text reading apparatus, a text reading method, and a computer-readable medium storing a text reading program, which make operation easy and by which two or more text sets are not simultaneously read.